Folding berry-box.



C. H. PHOCTOH.

FOLDING BERRY BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, i916.

1,223,202. Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

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FOLDING BERRY BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. 1916.

1,223,202. Patnted Apr. 17,1917.

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. g 6. CzQTZQQJZW m- I Em UNITED STATES r TENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. rnoc'ron, OFISHEBOYGAN, Wisconsin] FOLDING snanv sox.

To all whom it may concern.-

' Beit known that I, CHARLES H. PROCTOR, akcitizen of the United States, residing at Sheboygan, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Berry-Boxes; and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the'same.

This'invention relates to new and useful improvements in boxes, and more particularly to boxes adapted for shipping berries and other small fruit, and has for its principal object to provide a box which is easily folded for shipment so that a large number willoccupy a very small space and which can be quickly put into shape for use without having to perform any additional operation except the unfolding thereof, and which s when in use,- will be very strong and efficient s so it is adapted for extensive and contmued use.

Formerlyin the manufacture of boxes of this character, they were made up in sections and shi ped to the farmers, and it was necessary or the'farmer to employ a stapling machine to assemble the various parts of the boxes. This was very expensive to small "producers that only shipped small quantities of fruit such as berries, and one of the objects of the present invention is to so con- I struct a box of this character that it is assembled and folded when shipped to the farmer and it is not necessary for him to perform any additional work thereon other than unfolding before the box may be used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple and durable in construction, inexensive to manufacture, and one which will e ver efiicient in operation.

Wit these and numerous other objects in view, my invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and the combination'and arrangement of parts which will hereinafter be more particularly described i and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my 1 I improved box folded;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the box open, but with the bottom flap upright and not et in osition;

- Fig; 3 is a perspective view partly broken Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented A r; 17, 1917.

Application filed July 1a, 1916. Serial no. 109 114.

away showing ti 1e box completely in folded pos1t1on; v i v Fig. 4 isa tra isverse section;

Fig. 5 is a settion taken on the line 5-5 out the several t iews. This box comprises a strip of wood sul :h as veneer or other suitable material which has transverse V-shaped scores 1: at pre determined intervals along one side, so as t) allow the strip to be bent at right angles'at said scores to formcorners of a rectal gularshaped boxv whichvis formed when tl.e strip isbent. The strip will be divided into five parts bythe: four transversely ext mding scores 1 whichparts are designated 3y the numerals 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and the e M18 2 and 6 of the strip are overlapped and are fastened together by suitable metal s;ap1es 7. When in this position, the rectangular shaped box will be formed which is, owing to the scored cor-' ners,p adapted, to, be compressed .to. the flat parallelogram siape when it is desired to fold the same for shipment;

The bottom ior thebox is formed by a strip 8' of the same kind of material as the" box, and: whicl. has two V-shaped score marks 9 and 10 made acrossit, ad acent the ends 11 and 12 cf the same. The upper free end v 12 of, thelottom is cut away at each corner as plain y shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and t iebottom strip 8 is secured to the inner low er face of the wall'2 of the box at the other end 11 by additional staples 13 which hold the bottom permanently to the box. The e1 .d sections of the strip 8 are adapted to be bont downwardly, the section 11 being securei to the wall 2', while the downwardly be: it outer free end 12 is so positioned for purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. j

The lower inner surface of the wall 4 of the box has secured thereto a locking strip 14 by means of staples 15 which project through the said strip and through the wall adjacent the lower edge of the same. This locking strip 14 is made of the same material as the box 1, and owing to the fact,

that the lower edge of the same :is'secured adjacent the 10 ver edge of the wall 4, its

so that it may be moved outwardly from the wall to receive the downturned free end 12 of the bottom 8 when the box is in open position. tom of the box so that the same may be used for the ordinary purposes.

It is evident that, when the bottom has been raised to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the sides or walls of the box can be compressed together out of rectangular form into the flat or parallelogram form shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and that when in this form, a large number may be easily shipped as they will occupy a very small space. When it is desired to use the boxes, each box is drawn out into rectangular shape and the free end 12 of the bottom strip 8 is bent at right angles so that when the bottom strip 8 is bent into the box,-the free end 12 will pass between the upper portionof the strip 14 and the adjacent wall 4 of the box. The box will then be securely held in open position and ready for use.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved folding berry box, the use and operation thereof will be readily understood and it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and efficient means for carrying out the objects of this invention. 'Attention is particularly called to the securing strip 14 that removably and securely locks the bottom in the box, when the box is in open position. This locking strip is formed of the same material as the box and is very simply and easily manufac-' tured during the manufacture of the other parts of the box. All the difl'erent parts shown and described are assembled at the factory before shipment, and when shipped, by the above simple operation, the box is easily opened and locked in open position.

The scores used to form the corners and also on the bottom strip of this device, are

This will securely lock the botmade by a V-shaped knife which merely plows a shallow furrow in the veneer without cutting deeply, so that the box will not become weakened at the hinged points. Where the, scoring is done with a straight knife, the furrow is often cut almost through the veneer, thus making the box weak at the corners and resulting in the breakage of the same in a very short While.

I claim as my invention: In a folding berry box, the combination with a thin wooden strip having four transverse V-shaped scores therein dividing it into five portions, four successive portions being of equal size and the remaining end box strip adjacent its bottom, a separate wooden locking strip secured at its ends across the lower inner side of the opposite wall of the box, and the free bent edge of the bottom'strip having its corners cut away whereby said end is adapted to pass between the upper end of the locking strip and the adjacent wall of the box to hold the box securely in open position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. PROCTOR.

Witnesses:

ESTELLA S. PRoo'roR, D. W. HUENINK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0. 

